That Summer
by sweetcaroline
Summary: Crashed on the floor when I moved in/This little bungalow with some strange new friends/We promise each other it's till the end... Lilly recalls that summer when everything changed. LxO, MxJ
1. Prologue

**White Houses**

**Prologue**

The wind was blowing like crazy. Her brown dress flew in different directions, billowing up and down as gusts came and went, her cheeks were red and wind burnt, and the bobby pin that had held her hair back so professionally had long since blown away, causing the ends of her wavy blonde hair to fly haphazardly around her face.

She dug her toes into the damp sand to keep herself from blowing away altogether and pressed her eyes tightly shut, blinking back tears.

She knew that it had been a bad idea to come here. When her boss had suggested that she make a quick business trip up to San Francisco, she quickly refused, claiming that she knew she'd be of much more use in the office. In actuality, San Francisco was only twenty miles west of Adairsville and she knew that if she were that close, she would not be able to resist making the trip.

Her boss had won. She had made her business trip to San Francisco and now, here she was, standing in front of the small, white cabin that she had tried for so many years to block from her mind.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard a squeal. She snapped her head around and saw a young boy running toward the water, a girl slung over his shoulder. The girl giggled and laughed, kicking her legs and pounding her fists until they fell together into the water, both coming up with grins on their faces.

Twenty-three-year-old Lilly Truscott shook her head and smiled at the two, feeling herself being jerked back into a whirlwind of a summer that she had tried so hard to forget.

**A/N: **This is just a prologue, first chapter will be up soon! Adairsville is totally made up, so don't go thinking it's a real place. I hope you enjoy this story! Review, review, review!


	2. Chapter 1

**White Houses**

**Chapter 1**

**_crashed on the floor when I moved in_**

_**this little bungalow with some strange new friends**_

_**stay up too late and I'm too thin**_

_**we promise each other it's till the end**_

"Smile!"

Seventeen-year-old Lilly Truscott rolled her eyes before plastering a grin on her face for what seemed like the millionth time that afternoon. She was, in fact, quite certain that her cheeks were beginning to freeze. "Ow," she murmured, her teeth clenched, as her mother snapped another picture.

Heather Truscott let the camera fall and hang from the strap around her neck as she clasped her perfectly manicured hands together. "Oh, you just look _so _beautiful!" she sighed. "Rosie!" she snapped, her tone of voice suddenly changing as she pushed the fourteen-year-old forward. "Get in a picture with your sister!"

"God, Mom, could you be any more lame?" Rosie groaned, flicking a strand of perfectly straight hair over her shoulder.

"Oh, come here, cutie," Lilly grinned, pinching her sister's cheeks. She knew that under all the teenage angst that Rosie _pretended _that she possessed, Rosie _actually _enjoyed being a member of the Truscott family, no matter the quirks it might come with. "Just think, one more summer and you're an only child!"

Rosie rolled her eyes as Lilly threw an arm around her shoulders, hugging her tightly to her side. "Thank _God,"_ she said exasperatedly.

A few (hundred) shots later, Lilly put her foot down. "Mom," she said gently, placing her hands on her mother's shoulders, "I _have _to go. It isn't going to be any fun to have a ton of pictures in me in my graduation outfit it I don't actually make it to the graduation ceremony, now is it?"

Heather sighed and kissed her daughter on the cheek. "Alright, fine," she said, pushing Lilly toward the door. "We'll see you afterward before we go to the Oken's house."

* * *

"Lillyyyyyyyyy!" Miley squealed as she ran (more like stumbled, she was wearing spiky heels), one hand holding up the skirt of her graduation gown, the other holding her cap securely on her head. She wrapped her arms tightly around Lilly's neck as soon as she reached her. "Oh my God, we're about to _graduate! _Can you believe it?"

Lilly laughed and linked her arm through Miley's as they walked back toward the school together. "Not at all," she admitted, a hint of sadness in her voice. "It's so weird. Next year we're all going to be spread across the _world. _Me in Berkley, Oliver in Boston, Jake in New York, and you… _God _knows where you'll be-" she lowered her voice and poked her friend in the ribs, "Hannah Montana."

Miley slapped Lilly's arm. "Shut up, someone might hear you! And, God, Lilly it's not like we're never going to see each other again! Don't go getting all depressed on me, babe… this is _graduation. _It's supposed to be _fun!_"

Lilly sighed. "I know, I know," she said. Then she took a deep, calming breath and, although her stomach was in a million tiny knots, she plastered a smile on her face. "I can't believe we're graduating!"

Miley grinned and hugged her friend once more. "See?" she said. "Everything's going to be great."

Lilly wasn't as reassured as Miley wanted her to be, especially when, a few moments later, Miley ran back toward the parking lot when she saw Jake's black Range Rover pull up. (The two were still pulling the "hey, we're just friends" act, but, in Lilly and Oliver's opinions, it was only a matter of time before the confessed their undying love for each other and sickened everyone with a very public make-out session.)

Suddenly, Lilly felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind. "What's crack-a-lackin, Lill-ay?"

Lilly rolled her eyes, but kept a grin on her face as she turned around and threw her arms around Oliver's neck. "Ollie! I'm so glad you're here!"

"Me too," he sighed, slinging his arm casually around Lilly's shoulder. Lilly rested her head on his shoulder as they began to walk toward the football field, where the ceremony would be taking place. "God, did your mom take like, six billion pictures?"

Lilly laughed. "Yes. And you know that they're going to take _more _when we all get to your house afterward."

Lilly pulled away from Oliver as soon as they reached the edge of the football field, her face suddenly paling. She stared at the rows of chairs that had been set out for them, at the parents laughing and shaking hands, at the principal standing on the stage going over last minute details with the school board members. She placed her hands on her stomach subconsciously.

"Hey," Oliver murmured, placing his hand on the small of her back and rubbing it gently. "You okay, Lil?"

"I…" she said softly. "I'm scared, Ollie." She felt tears threatening and it took all of her strength to keep them from falling.

"Everything's going to be _fine,_" Oliver reassured, reaching up and pushing some of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Nothing is going to change, Lilly, I promise you." He paused and then flashed her a grin, "Well, except for the fact that we never have to see Kunkle, Amber, or Ashley again which, in my opinion, is _nothing _to be worried about."

Lilly couldn't help it; she let out a giggle.

Oliver's grin grew wider as he pulled her tightly to him. "There you go," he said soothingly. He pulled away and grabbed her hand, yanking her toward their seats. "Now, hurry up, would you? The sooner we graduate, the sooner I can forget about Amber and Ashley forever!"

* * *

"I promise, just one more!" Rachel Oken cried, putting her camera to her eye. "Now, hug each other," she commanded and the four new high school graduates did as they were told. "Oh, they are so adorable," she cooed and the other mothers quickly echoed their agreement.

"_So_ adorable," Heather Truscott agreed.

"They are too grown up!" Justine Ryan cried, placing a hand on her heart. "Where does the time go?"

"Speaking of time," Jake butted in, one hand around Miley's waist, the other around Lilly's shoulders, "I think that it has probably been about three hours since the three of you started taking pictures. Can we go now?"

Justine rolled her eyes. "Fine," she sighed. "We'll call you when dinner is ready."

Jake smiled and pressed a quick kiss to his mother's cheek. "I love you, Mom," he said cheekily before loosening his tie and flopping onto the porch swing.

Miley quickly followed, scooting close to him. "So, this is it," she said. "We're free!"

Lilly sighed sadly, sitting down on the porch step. Oliver was quickly at her side, his arm around her. "Do you guys feel any different?" he asked.

There was a moment of silence before Jake laughed. "Not at all."

"I feel different," Lilly muttered. "Everything is about to change. You say that we're all going to stay best friends, but we're not. Everything is going to fall apart."

"Lil," Oliver sighed, rubbing her arm gently. "Come on."

"It is kind of weird though, isn't it?" Miley said. "We've always been like… the four musketeers and then next year… next year we'll all be separated. No more of Oliver's donut jokes everyday, no more slapping Jake across the head when he gets all egotistical, Lilly won't have anyone to patch up her skateboarding injuries… everything will just be… different."

"Let's do something about it, then," Oliver said.

Lilly sighed. "What? Keep going to Seaview for the rest of our lives?"

"No, let's go somewhere, just the four of us. All summer."

"All summer?" Miley repeated. "But we can't… our parents-"

"Aren't really in charge of us anymore," Jake finished, warming up to Oliver's idea. "We're free, like you've been saying all day!"

Miley smiled a little. "Where would we go? What would we do? How would we get there? I mean, this all has to be planned. I'm not just wandering off with you donuts-" she motioned to Jake and Oliver, "without a slight since of what is going on."

There was a moment of silence before Jake snapped his fingers. "My family has this place on the beach in Adairsville," he said. "It's this tiny town right out side of San Francisco. We barely ever use it, but it's awesome."

"Do you think your mom would let us use it?" Oliver asked, excitement creeping into his voice. This could totally work.

"I'm an actor, dude," Jake laughed. "I can sweet talk the woman into anything."

"When could we go?" Miley asked.

"Soon," Jake said. "Like tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Miley squealed. "That's crazy. Tomorrow?"

"Come on," Jake urged, nudging her. "This is an adventure, a spontaneous thing. One last hoorah for the four musketeers!" He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her tightly to him. "You know you want to say yes," he murmured into her hair.

Miley felt a blush creep up her neck. "I… well…" she sighed, the boy was right, he could sweet talk _anyone _into anything. "Okay. Fine."

"Yes!" Oliver laughed, pumping a fist into the air. "Lilly, you in?" he said, pinching Lilly's shoulder.

Lilly looked around at her three best friends. Everything was going to change soon. And she wasn't about to let that happen without one "last big hoorah."

She smiled and nodded, letting her head fall onto Oliver's shoulder. "I'm in."

**A/N: **I hope that you enjoyed this! I can't tell you how frequent updates will be, but I will try to update fairly regularly. Thank you so much for reviews!


	3. Chapter 2

**White Houses**

**Chapter 2**

_**now we're spinning empty bottles**_

_**it's the four of us**_

_**with pretty eyed boys girls die to trust**_

_**I can't resist the day**_

_**no, I can't resist the day**_

"Are you the _slowest _packer alive?" Miley whined, falling onto Lilly's bed dramatically, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Okay, first of all, you've been waiting for me for a total of like three minutes," Lilly laughed, stuffing a few sundresses into her duffel bag. "Secondly, I only started packing about ten minutes before you came over to annoy me. And I know for a fact that you started packing the second you got home from Jake's last night, stayed up until three in the morning, got up at six to continue, and finished just before you came. That," she said pointedly, pulling the zipper shut on her duffel bag, "Not only makes you the slower packer out of the two of us, but also the most annoying _and, _not to mention a huge exaggerator."

Miley pursed her lips tightly, as if she were trying to think of something snappy to say back to her blonde best friend. After a few moments of silence, she stood up quickly and heaved a sigh. "Can we just go already?"

Lilly laughed. "Don't hate me just because I'm better at everything," she winked, throwing her duffel bag over her shoulder and sliding past Miley into the hallway.

"You are _not _better at everything," Miley huffed, following closely behind. She cleared her throat, "Everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days…"

"Okay, okay," Lilly sighed. "You can remain the best pop star."

Miley smirked. "Thank you."

A horn honked outside and Miley squealed, throwing her arms around Lilly's neck. "Best summer ever!" she yelled, throwing open the front door to go meet Jake and Oliver.

Lilly smiled softly and picked up her duffel bag again. "Mom?" she called.

Heather Truscott came running out of the kitchen, wiping her hands hastily on her "Kiss the Cook" apron. "Are you leaving already?" she sighed. "Are you packed? Did you forget anything? Do you have a toothbrush?"

"Mom," Lilly laughed, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck. "I have _everything. _Don't worry, I'm going to be totally fine."

Heather pulled her daughter close. "I'm still not sure this is such a good idea… going off on your own for an entire summer…"

Lilly sighed and patted her mother's back. "It feels weird to me, too, Mom. I won't be alone, though, don't worry."

"I know, sweetie, I trust you," Heather replied. "It's just still a little scary."

"Don't worry, Mrs. T," a voice called from the doorway. "I'll be there to scare any big bad criminals away from your little girl."

Heather and Lilly turned to Oliver, who was leaning in the frame of the front door. "Oh, Oliver," Heather said, reaching to give Oliver a hug. "You are the _only _reason I am letting Lilly go on this trip. Take care of her."

"Of course," Oliver said, winking at Lilly over her mother's shoulder. "She will never leave my side, Mrs. T, you have my word."

Heather finally released Oliver and took a step back. "Okay, believe it or not I am going to let you _actually _leave now." She pressed a quick kiss to Lilly's cheek. "Have fun, be safe, and please call me every once and awhile. Love you!"

Lilly smiled and waved as Oliver hoisted her duffel bag over his shoulder and ushered her out of the door. "Love you, Mom."

She slammed the door shut behind her and ran to the car, just as Oliver was slamming the trunk shut.

"Hop in!" Jake yelled from the front seat. "Best summer EVER!" he yelled as Lilly and Oliver slid into the backseat and he flew out of the Truscott's driveway.

* * *

"Omigod, Jake!" Miley squealed, clapping her hands together as Jake's black Range Rover approached the house, "This is adorable!" She was so close to the window that her nose was practically pressed against the glass.

The house _was _adorable, like one of those cute little summer homes in movies. It was white, two stories, with big bay windows that faced the beach and pale blue shutters. The four friends were practically at the door before Jake even had time to park the car.

Jake laughed and tossed the keys to Oliver. "Have at it," he said, popping open the trunk. "I'll get our stuff, I've seen it all before."

"Oh, it's even _cuter _inside!" Miley squealed, glancing around the open, airy kitchen. "Let's go pick bedrooms, Jake said there were four!"

Miley ran off quickly, squealing all the way, and just as Lilly turned to follow her, Oliver caught her arm, spinning her around to face him. "Hey," he whispered, that trademark lopsided grin on his face. He pushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger on her face. "Are you happy, Lil?"

Lilly creased her eyebrows in confusion, intertwining her fingers with his. "Of course I am," she replied, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Oliver shrugged, squeezing her hand lightly. "You seemed really upset last night," his face was frighteningly serious. A moment of silence lapsed and then he smiled lightly, pinching Lilly's cheek. "And I don't want to have to transfer to Berkley at the last minute," he joked.

"And I don't want you to be there," Lilly countered. She sighed. "I'll be fine, Oliver. Just… all this change is going to take a little getting used to, I guess."

Oliver smiled and nodded understandingly. "Well, at least for the summer, nothing is going to change, Lilly. Nothing."

Lilly smiled as Oliver pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "Thanks, Ollie."

She began to walk away again, but Oliver's voice stopped her. "Lil?" he called. She turned around to face him. "If you really wanted me to, I'd transfer to Berkley in a heartbeat," he said, and that deadly serious look was back on his face.

Lilly smiled. "I know."


	4. Chapter 3

**White Houses**

**Chapter 3**

_**Jenny screams out and it's no pose**_

'_**cause when she dances, she goes and goes**_

"Can we go outside now?" Oliver groaned, letting his head flop onto the back of the couch.

Lilly fell down beside him and kicked her legs into his lap. "Seriously, Jake, we've been waiting for like twenty minutes. Miley _always _takes forever to do the simplest things… like put on a swimsuit."

"We have to walk onto the beach at the exact same time," Jake said, peering up the stairs toward Miley's room. "All four of us. We're making memories here, people!"

"Dude, you sound _so _gay right now," Oliver laughed, squeezing Lilly's knee and eliciting a giggle from the girl.

Jake looked at Lilly for support.

"Sorry, Jakey," she giggled. "You do sound pretty gay."

Waving his middle finger in the air, he started to trudge up the stairs. "I'm going to get Miles," he said. "You two _will not _step onto that beach without us, got it?" He narrowed his eyes at the two for effect before turning around and stomping toward Miley's room, muttering something about "those damn kids."

As soon as he was out of sight, Lilly jumped off of the couch, pulling Oliver up with her. "Let's go," she said, lacing her fingers through his and pulling him toward the door.

As soon as their toes hit the sand, Oliver picked Lilly up and slung her over his shoulder, running at full speed toward the ocean.

"Oliver, NO!" Lilly laughed, kicking her legs and pounding her fists. "Oliver, wait! I still have my clothes on!"

"Are you asking me to undress you, Lillian?" Oliver mocked, pinching the back of her thigh.

Lilly smacked him on the back of the head. "You are such a perv!" she squealed. "Could you at least get your head out of the gutter for like two-"

The words stopped coming out of her mouth when she fell backward into the ocean, hitting the wet sand with a light 'thud.' She came up, spitting water out of her mouth and rubbing her eyes.

"YOU," she yelled, pointing her dripping hand at the smirking boy standing at the water's edge, "ARE A DEAD MAN, OLIVER OSCAR OKEN!" She ran out of the water, peeling off her soaked tank top and denim shorts and tossing them onto the sand.

"Sorry, Lillian, but the Ollie Trolley has just left the station," Oliver joked, running away from his squealing best friend.

"Come back here, Oken!" Lilly yelled, chasing after him.

Suddenly, she toppled onto the ground, clutching her ankle in pain. "Ollie! Ollie, come here!" she called.

"You okay, Lils?" Oliver asked, glancing at the girl on the ground. She shook her head and he began to trudge over to her. He fell into the sand next to her. "Are you alright?"

"Oliver," she whispered, her face contorted in pain. She grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to her, so that he could feel her warm breath tickling his face.

"Yes?" he asked, feeling his breath hitch in the back of his throat.

"You," she said softly, "Just fell for the oldest trick in the book!" Her face quickly donned a smirk as she stood up, grabbing her friend's arms and pulling him toward the ocean.

He rolled his eyes and laughed, yanking his shirt off and tossing it next to Lilly's things, letting himself be dragged toward the water. "You're so lame, Lils," he said, feeling the cool water begin to splash on his ankles.

"Yes," she agreed, grinning, "But that's why you love me!" Winking at him over her shoulder, she let go of his arm and dove into the water.

* * *

It was nine o'clock and the four friends were huddled in the living room, a spread of food in front of them, while _Tila Tequila's Super Sexy Summer_ played on the television in front of them.

Miley sat Indian style in a big, leather chair, her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. "Tell me when they stop with the whipped cream," she muttered, her words muffled by the pillow she held to cover her eyes.

"She is so hot," Jake muttered from the floor, stuffing a nacho in his mouth and leaning back so that his head was resting on Miley's legs.

"Ewwwww!" Miley squealed, thumping his head with the palm of her hand. "How could you even say that? She's… icky!"

"Ow!" Jake protested, rubbing the back of his head and glaring up at the girl. "Come on, I'm a guy, you can't fault me for that!"

"No," Miley countered, crossing her arms across her chest, "But I can fault you for having trashy taste."

Jake's jaw dropped and his eyes narrowed. "Tila is _not _trashy!" He glanced at Oliver, as if asking his friend to back him up. When he didn't, Jake cleared his throat. "She's not trashy. I bet Oliver thinks she's hot, too!" When this still didn't provoke a response, Jake cleared his throat again, tossing a pillow at the boy. "Yo, Oliver!" he yelled.

Oliver's head snapped up. He was sitting on the couch and Lilly was lying across it, her head in his lap. As strange as it sounded, for the past ten minutes, the teenage boy had been more interested in making the small, blonde giggle than in watching the half-naked, whipped cream covered women on the television screen. He felt a blush creep up his neck as he realized that Jake had been trying to get his attention for a good while. "Yes?" he said meekly, one of his fingers absentmindedly twirling a lock of Lilly's hair.

"Tila Tequila is super sexy," Jake stated slowly, rolling his eyes at the totally oblivious pair. "Agree or disagree?"

Oliver sighed and glanced at the television. "She's kind of trashy, dude."

"Yes!" Miley yelled, pumping a fist into the air. Jake groaned and let his head fall back against Miley's legs once more.

Lilly giggled. "I think you were supposed to agree with Jake," she whispered.

Oliver glanced at the screen again. "Yeah, well, I've always gone for the classic kind of look anyway. You know blonde hair, blue eyes…"

Lilly felt her face flush and her breath catch. She glanced up at him quickly and then turned back to the television.

* * *

It was three o'clock in the morning and Lilly was sure that she was about to be murdered. She opened one eye and glanced toward the door as it squeaked open. She closed it again when she heard someone enter the room, hoping that the crazy serial killer would leave her alone if they thought she was asleep.

Suddenly, she felt warm breath on her face. Lilly snapped both of her eyes open and screamed, hitting the figure in front of her with her pillow. "I know two famous people with very large bodyguards that will attack you on a moment's notice!" she yelled, holding her fists out in front of her, as if they would scare a mass murderer away.

"Wait a second," she said as she heard a peal of laughter. "You're not a murderer, are you?" Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she saw that Oliver was standing in front of her, cracking up.

"You _jerk!" _she squealed, hitting him again with her pillow. "I thought you were going to attack me!"

Oliver tried to stop laughing and sat down on the bed next to Lilly, putting an arm around her and pulling her tightly to his side. "Lilly, you are going to be in _huge _trouble if you ever really do get attacked," he chuckled. "Hitting me with a pillow? Threatening to sick Roxy on me?"

Lilly rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the ribs. "Shut up," she said. "I was thinking on my feet. Now, you donut, did you just come in here at three in the morning to scare the hell out of me, or did you have an actual reason?"

"Come sleep outside with me!" Oliver whisper yelled and even though it was dark, Lilly could see the lopsided grin on his face.

"It's going to be cold!"

"I'll keep you warm!" The boy wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"You _are _a pervert," Lilly laughed. Oliver gave her his best "puppy dog pout face" and Lilly sighed. "Let's go," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the door. "But if you throw me in the water this time, I _will _kill you, Oken."


	5. Chapter 4

**White Houses**

**Chapter 4**

_**beer through the nose on an inside joke**_

_**and I'm so excited I haven't spoken**_

"Oliver."

Oliver groaned and pushed the figure away, rolling over. He felt a hand slide down his chest and pinch his side.

"Oliverrrrrr."

"Go 'way," he murmured, slapping the hand away (though it _had _felt quite nice.) It was a sacrifice he was willing so that he could sleep for a few more minutes.

"Oliver!"

The hand slapped his back and he shot up. "Ow," he whined, rubbing the sore spot. "Lil-_ly, _what is your problem?" He propped himself up on his elbows and laughed at his friend's expression.

Lilly was sitting Indian style, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. Her eyebrows were creased and her lips were pursed tightly. "_You," _she seethed, "Are a big, fat, jerkface, Oliver Oscar Oken."

"Oh, she's pulling out the full name card," Oliver laughed with a yawn. He glanced at the angry girl's face and sighed. "What could I have done this early in the morning, Lilly?"

"Sleeping outside was a terrible idea!" she squealed, scooting away from the boy.

Oliver rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Come on, you know it was fun!"

"No! It wasn't!" Lilly protested. "First of all, _you _snore… a lot. It has gotten incredibly worse since we were kids."

Oliver snorted and pulled his knees up to his chest. "Is that all?"

Lilly stuck her tongue out. "No! Sleeping on sand is really uncomfortable _and _the sunlight woke me up at five o'clock – by the way, it's only like six right now – _and _you promised me I wouldn't be cold and I definitely was."

Oliver sighed and scooted over close to her, placing his arm around her shoulder and pulling her tightly to him. She reluctantly let her head fall onto his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lilly," he sighed. "I really thought it would be fun."

Lilly slid her arms around his middle and hugged him tightly. "I guess… it was _kind of, _maybe, a very little bit of fun," she muttered, burying her head into his chest so that he could not see her smile. "Sleeping under the stars, and all."

Oliver laughed and kissed the top of her head gently. "You're cute, Lilly."

* * *

"This is the life," Miley drawled slowly, her big brown eyes hidden behind her massive Chanel sunglasses.

Lilly giggled from the chair next to her friend. "Hold on tight," she sang, slightly off-key.

"Ugh, so not the time, Lilly," Miley groaned, rolling over on her towel so that she was lying on her stomach. "Hannah is on hiatus this summer. We are _not _bringing her up."

"You can't kill her, Miley. It's kind of like _The Land Before Time_ movies, right when you want them to go away, _Land Before Time 37_ comes out." She took a long sip of Diet Coke and opened her magazine to a picture of "Hannah," waving it at her friend.

Miley rolled her eyes and grabbed the magazine, tossing it down the beach.

"Mil-ey!" Lilly whined, swatting at her friend's arm. "I was just about to read about Jake Ryan and Hilary Duff's super secret rendezvous!" She wiggled her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

"All the more reason to throw it away." Miley huffed at the mention of Jake's name linked with another girl's.

Lilly rolled her eyes and pushed her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose, letting her head fall back on the chair.

"Um, excuse me?"

Both Lilly and Miley shot up at the unfamiliar, _male _voice.

Miley pulled her sunglasses off as she glanced at the tall, tan, surfer boy in front of them. She raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Why, hello there," she said slowly.

The boy smiled. "Hey, I'm Adam," he said. "Is this magazine yours?"

Lilly and Miley exchanged glances. "Yeah, thank you!" Lilly said quickly, reaching out to take the magazine from Adam's hands.

"You two live here?" he asked, gesturing toward the house.

Miley shrugged. "It's our friend Jake's house, we're staying here with some friends for the summer."

"Awesome, I'm just down the beach with some of my friends." He ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Listen, there's this huge party tonight. You guys should definitely come. And bring your friends, definitely."

Miley nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, we would _so _love that!"

Adam grinned. It was lopsided, similar to Oliver's, but Lilly noted, not half as cute. "Great," he said, shaking the hair out of his face. (That was also cuter when Oliver did it.) "I'll see you then. Nine o'clock."

Miley turned to Lilly as he walked away. "_Gawd, _he was hot."

"Try not to drool too much," Lilly rolled her eyes. "I guess he was okay looking." _But not as cute as Oliver._

"But not as cute as Oliver," Miley laughed, reading her friend's thoughts. Lilly's eyes went wide as she turned to face Miley, and Miley laughed. "Oh, boo, don't give me that look," she said. "It's not like you're discreet."

* * *

"Lil," Oliver whined, falling backward onto her bed. "Why do we have to go to this?"

Lilly, who was sitting on the stool in front of the mirror, curling iron in her hair, sighed and glanced at her friend in the mirror. "Oliver, I don't want to go either, but I promised Miley that I would."

"Promises were meant for breaking," Oliver muttered, grabbing a pillow and pushing it on his face.

Lilly rolled her eyes. "Good to know that these words of wisdom are coming from my best friend, whom I trust the most."

Oliver stood up behind Lilly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Okay, I don't break the promises I make to you. I looooooove you." He pressed a sloppy kiss to her cheek, making a loud smacking noise.

Lilly grimaced and put the curling iron down, wiping her cheek disgustedly. "You're sick, Oliver," she muttered.

* * *

"You're sick," Lilly muttered under her breath at some guy (he introduced himself as "the man of your dreams") who's hands had trying to find their way under her baby blue linen tank top since they had met about fifteen minutes earlier.

"God, you are so… hot," the guy muttered drunkenly, stumbling toward her.

Lilly groaned and tried to shove the guy away, looking around desperately for one of her friends, who had all been pulled in different directions as soon as they had reached the party. "I'm actually kind of… with someone," Lilly said lamely, in a desperate last attempt.

"Yeah, well he's not here," the guy said, wrapping his arms tightly around Lilly's waist and pulling her close. She gagged as the smelled the alcohol on his breath.

"Actually," a voice said from behind, placing a hand firmly on Lilly's shoulder, "He is here. And he would appreciate it if you would take your hands off of his girlfriend."

Lilly sighed with the relief when the guy put his hands up in surrender and stumbled away. She fell backward into Oliver's chest and he wrapped his arms around her stomach. "You okay?" he asked gently.

Lilly nodded. "I'm fine," she said. "Let's just go."

Oliver laced his fingers with hers and pulled her back toward the direction of the Ryan's house. "Sorry I didn't get there sooner," he said softly as the pulsating rap music fell further and further into the distance.

Lilly squeezed his hand and let her head fall onto his shoulder. "It doesn't matter, Oliver, you got there. That's all that matters. Really, I'm fine."

He sighed. "I know," he said. He stopped walking and turned her so that she was facing him, placing a hand under her chin. "I know this sounds cheesy and stupid, Lilly, but I just want you to be safe all the time. And I want you to know that I will _always _be there when you need me."

Lilly smiled. "That's not cheesy at all," she whispered. "It's exactly what I wanted to hear."

And before she could convince herself that it was a bad idea, her arms had snaked around his neck, she was standing on her tiptoes, and her lips were pressed against his.


	6. Chapter 5

**White Houses**

**Chapter 5**

_**she's so pretty and she's so sure**_

_**maybe I'm more clever than a girl like her**_

_And before she could convince herself that it was a bad idea, her arms had snaked around his neck, she was standing on her tiptoes, and her lips were pressed against his._

She pulled away after a moment and stumbled backward, pressing her eyes together tightly and placing her hand on her head. "Shit," she muttered, "Shit, I'm sorry, Oliver, I-"

"Hey, Lilly, it's okay, I-"

"God, I'm such an idiot," she yelled, kicking at the sand absentmindedly. "I'm so sorry, I… I think I'm going to go to bed."

Oliver reached out to grab her arm, but she dodged him, turning and sprinting into the house, slamming the door behind her. "Lilly!" he called. He sighed and ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair before turning and following the girl into the house.

* * *

Jake sighed as he looked around the party for Miley. After several girls had thrown themselves at him ("Jake Ryan, I'm a zombie, _slay _me!"), he was _definitely _ready to leave. There was no way that he was leaving the small, impressionable girl (who couldn't even handle Tila Tequila and whipped cream on the television) at a party that he was certain was about to be broken up by the cops.

"Hey, _I _know who you are!" a girl slurred, placing her hands on Jake's chest and stumbling toward him. "I have like a _huge _crush on you!"

Jake nodded. "That's nice," he muttered, attempting to peel her hands away from him.

She let out a giggle and a hiccup as she linked her arms behind his neck, pulling him closer to her. "Gawd, you are even hotter in person," she drawled.

"Listen," Jake said, trying to wriggle away from the girl's death grip. "As much fun as this is, I'm kind of looking for someone…" he thought quickly and added, "I'm looking for my _girlfriend._"

The girl pouted and crossed her arms across her chest (which was falling out of her shirt, by the way.) "Well, she's not _here,_" she sulked. "And I am here. So let's go find a deserted room and…"

Suddenly, Jake spotted Miley's brunette waves across the dimly lit patio. "That sounds like a great time, really it does," he reassured the girl, patting her shoulder awkwardly, "But my girlfriend _is _here. I just spotted her. Sorry!"

Jake broke away from the clingy girl and jogged toward Miley. When he reached her, he noticed she wasn't alone. A boy's hand was slung casually around her waist and was creeping lower and lower by the second.

Jake's eyes practically bugged out of his head as he grabbed Miley's upper arm and spun her around. "Hey," he said, out of breath. "I've been looking for you."

Miley smiled a toothy grin and Jake immediately noticed her glassy eyes. "Jake-y!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck, almost knocking him to the ground. Jake put a hand on her waist to steady them. "Jake-y, I'm so glad you're here, I _missed _you!"

She moved to take another sip of her drink, but Jake quickly grabbed the cup and let it fall to the ground. "I think you've had enough of this," he said.

Miley stuck her lower lip out. "Hey, you meanie-head," she slurred, swatting at his chest.

Jake rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. "Listen, Miles, why don't we head home?"

"W-Wait," she stuttered, pulling on his hand forcefully. "I want you to meet my new friend!" She wriggled from Jake's grasp and stumbled toward the boy who had been holding her earlier. She wrapped her arms around him and Jake felt his stomach begin to churn.

The boy turned around and Jake felt his fists clinch at his sides. "Miley, I think we've already met," he seethed. "Can we please go now?"

"Jake Ryan," Adam laughed (not in a friendly way.) He pulled the very drunk Miley close to him and Jake noticed that he didn't seem to be drunk at all. "Miley, did you want another drink? I'll get you one."

"As nice as that is of you," Jake interjected before Miley could respond. "We were just about to leave. Come on, Miley."

Miley blinked, looking between the two boys. "Do you know each other?" she asked.

"Yes," Jake said, reaching out for her hand. "Now, let's go."

"Maybe she's not ready to go yet, Jake-y," Adam mocked. "Or maybe she just doesn't want to leave with _you._"

Jake looked at Miley and held out his hand, gesturing for her to take it. "Miley, come on," he said.

Miley furrowed her eyebrows and looked between the two boys again. "Why are you so angry?" she murmured, looking at Jake.

Jake sighed and ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly. "Please, let's just leave, Miley. I don't want to stay here all night, but if you're going to, then I'm going to."

Miley finally slid her hand into his. "Bye, Adam!" she called over her shoulder as Jake dragged her away. "I'll come back to your house, it's pretty!" Jake held her hand tightly as she stumbled down the beach behind him. "Jake, are you angry at me?" she asked softly.

He looked in her big, brown (glazed over) eyes and wanted to say that he was. He wanted to ask her how she could be so stupid, how she could trust some random guy (especially when that guy was Adam, the biggest jerk on the face of the planet), why she didn't stay with him, but he didn't say any of those things because he couldn't be mad at her. He sighed and pulled her close to him, sliding his arm around her shoulders. She wrapped her arms around his middle and nuzzled her head into his chest. "No, kiddo, I'm not mad at you," he whispered, rubbing her arm gently.

She sighed contently. "Good," she whispered. "I don't like it when you're mad at me."

* * *

"Lilly!" Oliver called, pounding his fists on the door. "Lilly, please open the door!" He was met, once again, with silence from the other side. "Look, I'm not an idiot, I know you're not sleeping! Even _you _couldn't sleep with all of the noise I'm making!" He heard a quiet sob from the other side and he felt his heart break. "Please, just open the door," he said softly. "Please, Lilly."

He was met with more silence. "Fine, Lillian Rose," he said. "But know that I am going to continue sitting here… on the floor… all night until you open this damn door."

He pressed his back against the wall and slid down, letting his head fall into his hands. After a few moments, he heard the door creek open and he saw Lilly's head peek out.

Her eyes were red and puffy and there was mascara running down her cheeks. Oliver quickly stood up and jammed his foot into the door so that she couldn't close it. "What do you want?" she asked warily.

Oliver laughed and placed his hands on either side of her face, wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. "Don't you get it?" he asked, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on her lips. "I want _you._"


	7. Chapter 6

**White Houses**

**Chapter 4**

_**summer's all in bloom**_

_**summer's ending soon**_

_**it's alright, and it's nice not to be so alone**_

_**but I'll hold on to your secrets in white houses**_

Oliver looked over at the digital clock on the bedside table, barely making out the big read numbers. Three a.m. He sighed, glancing down at the blonde who was cuddled beside him. Moving away very gently so that she wouldn't wake up, he pressed a gentle kiss to her temple and stood up, stretching as he started for the door.

He was about halfway there when he heard her stir. "Ollie?" she murmured softly.

He turned around to see her propped up on one elbow, her long hair like a curtain framing her face. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and he grinned, wondering how she managed to look beautiful even after just waking up. "Hey," he whispered.

"What are you doing?" she asked quietly, sitting up.

"I was just going to bed," he replied. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

Lilly stuck her lower lip out childishly. "Don't go!" she cried, moving so that she was sitting Indian style and crossing her arms tightly across her chest. "I forbid you."

Oliver laughed. "As much fun as it is for me to watch you sleep, baby, I'd like to do some sleeping of my own."

Lilly crawled to the edge of the bed and grabbed his hand, pulling her toward him. "Sleep with _me,_" she whispered, then, realizing what that implied she quickly added, "I mean, _stay _with me. Sleep in this bed."

"Lilly," Oliver started quietly, running his thumb over her knuckles.

"Don't you 'Lilly' me, Mister," she said, placing a light kiss on his hand. "There are no parents here who are going to come in and get the right idea. You have no excused, you're trapped!" She looked up at him, her big blue eyes pleading. "_Please_," she begged softly. "I just want to be with you."

Oliver sighed and pulled back the covers, motioning for her to get under. She squealed and clapped her hands together quickly obliging. "How can I say no to you?" he laughed, sliding in next to her.

Lilly smirked as she laid her head on his chest, tracing an absentminded pattern on his arm. "You can't," she said. "You and me, it's just the way things are supposed to be."

* * *

Miley stumbled down the stairs at noon the next day, her hair sticking up in random places and her eyes red and bloodshot. As soon as she was close enough, she fell heavily onto the couch.

"Good morning, sunshine," Jake laughed from the kitchen.

Miley let out an "oomph" in return.

Jake sat down at the end of the couch, putting her feet in his lap and rubbing her leg gently. "Does somebody have a hangover?"

Miley started to sit up but quickly realized it was a bad idea. She clutched her head in pain and fell back down, groaning. "Jaaaaaaaake, I feel awful," she moaned, pressing her eyes tightly shut and burying her face into the pillow.

"Well, Hannah Montana," Jake said, winking at the girl next to him, "Not _all _of us celebrities are fortunate enough to lead a double life, so _I _wouldn't know what having an underage hangover feels like. Press is always watching, you know, and Jake Ryan is a good boy."

Miley rolled her eyes. "God, don't go getting all Dr. Phil on me," she muttered. "Adam told me it was fruit punch and, yes, I figured there was _some _alcohol in it, but not _that _much alcohol." Jake tensed up at the mention of Adam and Miley sensed this. Braving the intense pain that shot through her head, Miley slowly sat up and let her head fall onto his shoulder. "Hey, Zombie Slayer," she murmured. "You okay?"

Jake sighed and slid his arm around Miley's waist, hugging her close to him. "I'm fine, Miley," he said, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her hair. He stood up, letting her fall back down into a laying position. "Now, do you want coffee or water?" he asked, making his way into the kitchen.

"Both?" Miley asked. "And do you have any-"

"Advil?" Jake laughed, coming back into the room and pushing a glass of water into her hands, setting the coffee on the table. He dropped two pills into her hands and she gulped them down quickly. "I'm one step ahead of you, babe," he winked.

Miley rolled her eyes, trading the water for the coffee. "Hey, where are Lilly and Oliver?" she asked, squinting as she glanced out the window toward the beach. "Are they already out there?"

Jake shook his head. "No, I guess they're both still sleeping," he replied. "And I would know because I've been up since like five because I had to call into Ryan Seacrest."

Miley sighed and set the mug back on the table. She slowly swung her legs onto the ground and stood up. "I'm going to go talk to Lilly," she said, stretching. "Hopefully her party experience was better than mine."

She started to make her way toward the stairs, but turned around, making her way swiftly back toward the movie star. He stood and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her head in the crook of his neck. Jake was shocked at first, but quickly responded to the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

He grinned. "Not that this isn't fun, but what is it for?"

Miley pulled away, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "You're just a good friend, Jake-y," she laughed. "Thank you."

As she skipped up the stairs, he shook his head, a smile still playing on his lips. "I would do _anything _for you," he muttered.

* * *

Lilly smiled when she woke up, seeing Oliver sleeping soundly next to her. Propping herself up on her elbow, she hovered over him and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

He sighed contently, but did not wake. She giggled and pressed a kiss to his forehead, his nose, his cheek, his chin…

He smiled and opened his eyes. "I could get used to this," he laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. He captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

"You're going to have to," Lilly said, between kisses. "I'm planning – _kiss – _making you sleep – _kiss – _in here – _kiss ­– _from now on."

Suddenly the door flew open. "Lilly, wake up, I – OH MY GOD!" Miley screamed and quickly pressed her hands over her eyes. "Are you two doughnuts having freaking SEX?"

Lilly blushed and detached herself from Oliver quickly, sitting up. "Miley, god, no. Everyone in this room is fully clothed."

Miley hesitantly put her hand down. "Good," she said quickly, heat rising to her cheeks. "I just came to talk to Lilly and then I saw you kissing, but you're not having sex, but WAIT!" Miley squealed and clasped her hand over her mouth. "You were _kissing_, oh my God, are you two together?!"

Lilly looked at Oliver expectantly. "We never actually made that official," he said quietly, scratching the back of his neck. "I, uh-"

"Oh, sorry," Miley said quickly. "I can see that I'm interrupting a 'moment,' so I'll just go back downstairs."

She quietly shut the door and Lilly smiled at Oliver. "So, am I your girlfriend now?" she asked.

Oliver shrugged. "Nah, I was thinking we could just be hook-up buddies."

Lilly smacked his shoulder. "Oliver," she whined. "Doughnut."

Oliver laughed and laced his fingers through hers, kissing her on the cheek. "I'm kidding, Lil. Of course you're my girlfriend, if you want to be."

Lilly smiled. "You don't even have to ask."


End file.
